Apple’s OS X Yosemite Public Beta Test Kicks Off

Apple is still looking for people to test drive OS X Yosemite, its upcoming refresh of the Mac operating system. The company has begun sending out emails inviting beta testers to download the preview version of Yosemite, but there’s still room for more people to sign up before it hits its 1-million-tester quota.

All you need to get in on the OS X beta program is have an Apple ID and a Mac running the current version of OS X, known as Mavericks. To get in on the test, head over to appleseed.apple.com/betaprogram. But we should point out that Apple recommends not using your main computer for the beta. If you don’t get into the beta (or want to play it safe), just remember OS X Yosemite will be released as a free update for all Mac users this fall.

It could be fun to get an early look at this software, which will include many but not all of the features presented at this June’s Worldwide Developers Conference. (Notably absent will be any of the iOS-OS X “continuity” features, which tie iPhones and Macs closer together.) Just be careful: “This is beta software that is still in development,” says Apple, “which means some applications and services may not work as expected.”

This post was updated on Thursday at 5:15 p.m. Eastern to reflect that Apple’s OS X Yosemite public beta roll-out had begun.